The light || Lucas Sinclair

salt

By the time Hopper arrived at the Byers house, nightfall had come around. The kids hopped out of the vehicle as three people came running out of the house.

"Mike. Oh my god. Mike!" Nancy yelled. She ran over to her brother and pulled him into a hug. "I was so worried about you."

"Yeah, uh me too." Nancy then looked away from Mike noticing the girls wearing familiar clothes.

"Are those my clothes?"

Many introductions later, Hopper quickly ushered everyone inside, and the group settled around Mike on the couch. Grabbing a pencil and paper, he began to explain the flea and acrobat theory.

Dustin then began to explain the gate and how the boys had tracked it to Hawkins Lab using their compasses.

"This gate. Is it underground?" Hopper asked.

"Yes." El answered.

"By a large water tank?"

"Yes."

"How-how do you know all that?" Dustin asked, giving the man a wary look.

"Is there anyway that you could." Joyce tried to find the right words. "That you could reach Will? That you could talk to him in this-"

"The Upside Down." Eleven finished for her.

"Down, yeah."

"And my friend Barbara." Nancy butted in. "Can you find her too?"

Leah looked over to El who had a unreadable look on her face. "I can." Eleven finally said causing a smile to appear on Joyce's face.

Minutes later, Eleven was sitting at the kitchen table with Mikes supercomm in her hand, eyes closed, as everyone sat at the table, focusing on her.

"I'm sorry, I can't find them." She said sadly opening her eyes. El got up from the table excusing herself and making her way to the bathroom.

—

"What about her? What are her powers?" Jonathan asked motioning towards Twelve.

Noticing the uncomfortable look on Leahs face Lucas answered for her. "She lost them."

"Lost them how?" The chief asked.

This time Lucas couldn't answer for her so Leah took a deep breath and began to explain.

"I uh- I used to be able to manipulate light, but then one day I got to hot and I blacked out. I don't remember it, but I do have this." She lifted up the side of her shirt showing a burn mark that took up half of her right side. "After that I wasn't able to get my powers to work. Everyone basically gave up on me after that and they haven't tested on me in years. I honestly thought they were going to kill me..." She finished quietly looking up at everyone's concerned face watching her.

"Hey kid, it'll be okay." Hopper said giving her a small smile. She returned the gesture.

Noticing how uncomfortable the girl was with everyone's eyes still on her, the people in the room split off into small subgroups.

Lucas was still sitting next to Leah unsure of what to say. Her hands were shaking once again, something he noticed happened quite often to the girl.

She was startled when he placed his hand on top of hers. "It'll be okay." He said as she looked up at him.

"Thanks." She then noticed her hands shaking starting to fade, she wondered if it was on account of his hands in hers.

Suddenly Eleven emerged from the bathroom. "I can find them."

"What?" Joyce asked, everyone looking over at the girl.

"I can find them, in the bath."

—

Ten minutes later, everyone sat around Dustin as he talked to Mr. Clarke on the phone. Once Dustin hung up he had a list of everything they needed for the sensory deprivation tank.

Dustin turned to Joyce as he looked over the list. "Do you still have that kiddie pool we bobbed for apples in?"

Joyce nodded. "Yeah, I think, yeah."

"Good. Then we just need salt, lots of it."

"How much is lots?" Hopper questioned.

"1,500 pounds."

"Well, where are we gonna get salt?" Nancy sighed.

"We could rob a grocery store." Lucas suggested.

"El and I already did that." Leah mentioned quietly.

"What?" Lucas asked, whipping his head towards the quiet girl.

"Uh, hello." Dustin pointed to Hopper. "The chief is still in the room. And we are also fugitives."

Hopper wasn't paying attention to the conversation until he got an idea. "I think I know a place."

—

The group arrived at the middle school, and entered the gym. While Lucas and Dustin set up the kiddie pool El and Leah found a spot in the bleachers to sit.

"This damn thing is heavy." Dustin grumbled, kicking the pool forward.

"Because, you have no muscles, roast beef." Lucas sassed, and Dustin gave him the middle finger in return.

Joyce led the girls into the Heathkit room.
Joyce came over while wrapping googles in duct tape. "Now these, are gonna keep it dark for you, just like in your bathtub." She handed the goggles to El. "You're a very brave girl. You both are. Everything you're doing for my boy, for Will, for my family. Thank you."' Joyce sniffed. "Now listen, me and Leah are going to be there with you the whole time, and so will Hopper. And if it ever gets too scary, just let us know, okay?"

Eleven nodded. "Okay."

Joyce offered a smile. "Ready?"

Twelve felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and looked over at Joyce, who led the girl down the hallway and through the gym, over to the kiddie pool.

Eleven quickly untied her shoes, before taking off her socks. Next she took off Mikes watch before handing it back to him.

Before she pulled the goggles down on her face she turned back around to look at Leah. Sticking out her pinky she tilted her head. "Promise you'll be there?" Leah stuck out her pinky, linking the two. "Promise."

Eleven laid down in the pool with her goggles on, everyone else hovering over the pool in anticipation.

"Barbara?" Eleven calls out into the gym. This gains Nancy's full attention causing her to sit up straighter.

Elevens breathing got heavier as the lights began to flicker in the gym, before going out completely.

"What's going on?" Nancy asked, her eyes widening.

"I don't know." Mike responded.

"Gone. Gone. Gone." Eleven repeated in a strained voice.

"Castle Byers." El mumbled, Joyce and Jonathan looking at each other with hope in their eyes.

After a short time of silence El shot up from the water.

"No! No! No!" She screamed before Joyce wrapped her arms around the girl.

"You're okay. You're okay. You did so good."

Twelve rested her chin on her knee watching El as she began to calm down.